Government desperate to strike blows against mass non-payment of household tax in advance of water meter installation and property tax legislation
Responding to the reappearance of Minister Hogan after an absence that happened to coincide precisely with the duration of the fiscal compact referendum campaign as well as to the threats against non-payers of the Household Tax that have emanated from his office Socialist Party TD for Dublin North and United Left Alliance Environment and Local Government spokesperson Clare Daly said:
“Non payment of the household tax has remained solid since the passing of the government deadline on 31st March with negligible registrations since that time. Questions put to Minister Hogan reveal that around one tenth of 940,000 properties (representing half of the true government target figure of 1.85 million not 1.6 million as is falsely claimed by government and media elements) were multiple registrations which suggests that a decisive majority of liable individuals remain in the non-payment camp.
“The government recognise that the beginning of the septic tank registration process next month, water meter installation in October and the drafting of the legislation for the property tax later this year will all provide a fresh impetus to the CAHWT. Therefore the threat of ‘compliance letters’ to non paying households in the coming weeks and months should be seen as a desperate measure by the government to try diminish the scale of non-payment in order to dampen a storm of protest that will meet the upcoming measures which all point in the direction of household bills averaging €1,000 of which the campaign has correctly warned all along.
“As with the successful campaign against the water tax in the 1990s every piece of threatening correspondence and court action will be met with a round of public meetings, mass newsletter distribution and protests as well legal defence measures. Such will be the scale of revolt Minister Hogan will wish he stayed in hiding!”
ULA Galway 